Imoca
IMOCA is the international sailing class association governing 60-foot offshore racing monohulls, sanctioning the IMOCA Globe Series championship (Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, Route du Rhum and others) for roughly 40 professional teams across 16 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersLorient, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Imoca does
IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) is the international governing body for the IMOCA 60-foot (18.28 m) offshore racing monohull class, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Lorient, France, with an administrative office in Paris c/o the French Sailing Federation (FFVoile). It sanctions the IMOCA Globe Series championship — a multi-year calendar of elite solo and crewed ocean races including the Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, Transat Café L'OR, Rolex Fastnet Race, Retour à La Base, and the newly introduced The Ocean Race Atlantic — and enforces the class rule (jauge) governing boat specifications such as foil configurations, wing masts, hull dimensions and sail areas for 60-foot foiling monocoques. The organization also owns sustainability programs (Green Sail, RISE, Cap Carbone carbon-emission cap on boat construction) and formalized scientific data partnerships with UNESCO-IOC, IFREMER and OceanOPS that convert race transits into oceanographic observation campaigns.
IMOCA's commercial engine is a hybrid of race organization/sanctioning, membership and class fees from participating teams, and sponsorship/partnership agreements with technical and sustainability partners such as Yanmar, 11th Hour Racing, World Sailing and FFVoile. It operates with a lean central staff (1–10 employees) and serves a global customer base of roughly 40 active IMOCA 60 teams and ~120 professional navigators across 16 countries, with elite teams including MACIF Santé Prévoyance, Holcim-PRB, 11th Hour Racing, Charal, Team Malizia and FDJ UNITED. Distribution runs through both physical race events and a direct digital ecosystem — imoca.org, imocaTV, social channels and the Virtual Regatta-powered IMOCA Virtual Series — which together support media rights, sponsor visibility and a global sailing audience.
Imoca firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Imoca
- Legal name
- IMOCA
- Website
- https://imoca.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- IMOCA is the international sailing class association governing 60-foot offshore racing monohulls, sanctioning the IMOCA Globe Series championship (Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, Route du Rhum and others) for roughly 40 professional teams across 16 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Imoca industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Offshore Sailing Class Association
- NAICS
- Spectator Sports (71121), Spectator Sports (7112)
- SIC
- Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Sport Federations (IFs) (MPAKAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races) (MPAKAIAH)
Keywords
Where Imoca is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lorient
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Imoca business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Race Organization and Sanctioning: IMOCA organizes and sanctions major international ocean races including the IMOCA Globe Series championship, generating revenue through entry fees, sponsorship agreements, and event partnerships
- Membership and Class Fees: Sailing teams and skippers pay membership fees to be part of the IMOCA class, gaining access to championship rankings, race entries, and official class certification
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Imoca product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IMOCA is an international class association that governs the technical specifications, classification, and championship racing for 60-foot (18.28m) ocean racing monohulls. It organizes and sanctions the IMOCA Globe Series championship calendar — including the Vendée Globe (solo round-the-world), The Ocean Race (crewed round-the-world), Route du Rhum, Rolex Fastnet Race, Transat Café L'OR, Retour à La Base, and The Ocean Race Atlantic — and runs sustainability initiatives (Cap Carbone, Green Sail, RISE) and scientific data partnerships with UNESCO and IFREMER.
Product overview
Imoca (International Monohull Open Class Association) is the governing body for the IMOCA 60 class, a premier offshore ocean racing series featuring 60-foot foiling monocoques. The organization manages the IMOCA Globe Series championship, a multi-year competition calendar that includes prestigious events such as The Ocean Race (round-the-world crewed), Vendée Globe (solo round-the-world), Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, Transat Café L'OR, Rolex Fastnet Race, Retour à La Base, and other major transatlantic races. The organization also oversees the IMOCA rule/jauge that governs boat specifications, manages sustainability initiatives, and partners with Virtual Regatta for the IMOCA Virtual Series. Individual IMOCA 60 yachts like MSIG Europe and FDJ UNITED represent the competing vessels in the championship, each with distinct technical specifications ranging from 18.28m to 18.28m in length and featuring various foil and rig configurations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IMOCA Globe Series Official IMOCA championship series featuring a multi-year calendar of elite offshore sailing competitions including The Ocean Race, Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, Rolex Fastnet Race, Transat Café L'OR, Retour à La Base, and The Ocean Race Atlantic. It is the central competitive product sanctioned by IMOCA for its 60-foot monohull class.
- The Ocean Race Atlantic A new crewed IMOCA race from New York to Lorient, first edition scheduled for September 2026. Designed for crew configurations and serving as a stepping stone within the IMOCA Globe Series championship.
- Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe
Quantifiable outcome
- First sailing class to implement a carbon emission cap (Cap Carbone) for boat construction in 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Imoca
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Imoca technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
Imoca partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 11th Hour Racingcore11th Hour Racing serves as Official Sustainability Partner of IMOCA. The partnership focuses on promoting sustainable practices in ocean racing, including environmental initiatives and awareness campaigns.
- YanmarcoreYanmar is the Official Technical Partner of IMOCA, providing marine engine technology and technical support for IMOCA racing vessels.
- UNESCOcorePartnership with UNESCO through the IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) for scientific data collection during IMOCA races, monitoring marine environment and climate indicators.
- IFREMERcoreFrench marine research institute partnered with IMOCA for oceanographic data collection during races and scientific collaboration on marine environment studies.
- OceanOPSminorPartnership for ocean observation and data collection during IMOCA racing events.
- The Magenta ProjectminorSustainability development partner promoting gender equality and diversity in ocean sailing.
- MarineShift360minorPartnership for sustainable marine industry practices and environmental responsibility in sailing.
- World SailingcoreInternational sailing federation that sanctions and recognizes IMOCA as an official international class.
- Fédération Française de Voile (FFVoile)coreFrench Sailing Federation providing administrative support and hosting IMOCA's Paris office.
- Ultra Violet AgencyminorProject management and editorial partner for IMOCA communications, based in Lorient.
- Studio be-polesminorDesign agency for IMOCA branding, with offices in Paris and New York.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Imoca competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TP52 Super Series: Professional monohull circuit for the TP52 class with a multi-event annual championship. Comparable in operating a tightly controlled one-design professional sailing class with similar owner-sponsor-team economics.
- Class40 Association: Governing body for the Class40 offshore monohull class, the closest French-based sister class to IMOCA. Directly comparable in managing class rules, a championship calendar, and shared offshore racing teams and skippers.
- Classe Mini (Mini 6.50): Governing class for the Mini 6.50 offshore solo/double-handed racers. Comparable offshore class association model and pipeline for sailors progressing toward IMOCA 60 campaigns.
- The Ocean Race: Organizer of the crewed round-the-world ocean race that is one of IMOCA's two flagship events. Closely comparable as a professional offshore sailing championship operator with overlapping team and sponsor relationships.
- Clipper Round the World Yacht Race: Organizer of a crewed round-the-world yacht race with an amateur-professional model. Comparable as a round-the-world sailing event operator sharing media, sponsorship, and audience overlap with IMOCA events.
- SailGP: Professional sailing league running a multi-event global championship with national teams and foiling technology. Comparable business model — season-based professional sailing championship — and competing for similar sponsorship dollars and broadcast reach.
- Ocean Fifty (formerly Multi50): Governing class for the French Ocean Fifty offshore multihulls. Comparable as a France-based offshore racing class with similar technical-rule, calendar, and sponsorship dynamics and overlap in skippers and partners.
- Union Course au Large (UCL): French offshore racing coordinating body that represents IMOCA, Class40, Ocean Fifty, and other classes. Comparable as the broader ecosystem organizer that influences IMOCA's event scheduling and stakeholder relations.
- America's Cup Event (ACE): Organizer of the America's Cup, the pinnacle professional sailing event. Comparable as an elite sailing event organizer competing for the same sponsor, broadcaster, and team-talent pool that IMOCA serves.
Broad incumbents
- World Sailing: The international federation that sanctions IMOCA as an official international class. Comparable as the broader governing body in the same sport, though its portfolio covers all sailing disciplines rather than specializing in offshore racing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Imoca social profiles
Digital presenceImoca financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Imoca leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Imoca funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Imoca M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Imoca
What does Imoca do?
IMOCA is an international class association that governs the technical specifications, classification, and championship racing for 60-foot (18.28m) ocean racing monohulls. It organizes and sanctions the IMOCA Globe Series championship calendar — including the Vendée Globe (solo round-the-world), The Ocean Race (crewed round-the-world), Route du Rhum, Rolex Fastnet Race, Transat Café L'OR, Retour à La Base, and The Ocean Race Atlantic — and runs sustainability initiatives (Cap Carbone, Green Sail, RISE) and scientific data partnerships with UNESCO and IFREMER.
Is Imoca a public or private company?
Imoca is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Imoca founded?
Imoca was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Imoca based?
Imoca is headquartered in Lorient, France, in the Europe region.
How does Imoca make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Race Organization and Sanctioning is the primary driver. The others are membership and Class Fees.
Who are Imoca's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TP52 Super Series, Class40 Association, Classe Mini (Mini 6.50), The Ocean Race, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, SailGP, Ocean Fifty (formerly Multi50), Union Course au Large (UCL) and America's Cup Event (ACE). World Sailing is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Imoca have an API?
No public API is recorded for Imoca.
What industry is Imoca in?
Imoca's product category is Offshore Sailing Class Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAFAB, International Sport Federations (IFs), with a secondary code of MPAKAIAH, Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races). Its NAICS code is 71121 and its SIC code is 7948.